Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Upcoming Book Adaptation Is The Perfect Follow-Up To Challengers

Challengers, the new sports drama directed by Luca Guadagnino, has already found critical acclaim and success with audiences, and an upcoming book adaptation could be the perfect follow-up film. Challengers has received positive views and was one of the most anticipated films of 2024 after the actors and writers strikes pushed the release date back from August 2023. The Challengers cast features Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, Josh O’Connor as Patrick Zweig, and Mike Faist as Art Donaldson. The main trio starts the film as talented young tennis players, though their careers end up taking different turns.

Challengers could earn Zendaya her first Oscar nomination, with her tour de force performance at the center of the story that includes a love triangle and plenty of betrayal. Patrick and Art grew up playing tennis together, even becoming champions in junior doubles together. However, their friendship is forever changed when they both fall for Tashi, who was set to become one of the greatest female tennis players of all time before an injury ruined everything. Challengers alternates from a match between Art and Patrick in 2019, to their meeting in 2006, and everything in between.

Carrie Soto Is Back Is Being Adapted For The Screen

The Taylor Jenkins Reid Book Completed Her Famous Quartet

Challengers isn’t based on a true story, unlike many other sports dramas. Rather, Challengers writer Justin Kuritzkes was inspired by real-life figures and events. Another popular story about a fictional tennis player is Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2022 #1 New York Times Bestseller Carrie Soto Is Back. In March 2023, Deadline reported that Picturestart had obtained the rights to an adaptation of the book. Carrie Soto Is Back is the last book in a quartet that includes Daisy Jones & The Six, which was adapted into an Amazon Prime Video miniseries.

Since the announcement, little has been shared about the Carrie Soto Is Back adaptation, but it’ll make a great tennis movie to follow Challengers. The novel tells the story of Carrie Soto, a female tennis player who comes out of retirement at 37 years old to defend her record, which the younger Nicki Chan threatens to break. Like Challengers, the timeline of Carrie Soto Is Back fluctuates, going from her present comeback to her childhood and the first part of her career. Both Challengers and Carrie Soto Is Back are thrilling, entertaining, and heartbreaking looks at the world of tennis.

Carrie Soto Shares Similarities With Tashi Duncan From Challengers

Both Stories Have Strong Female Leads

Zendaya’s character in Challengers, Tashi Duncan, is one of the most interesting and captivating fictional female athletes to ever grace the screen. At times, she may appear cold and apathetic, not caring about anything but tennis. At others, she is vulnerable and displays an unmatched passion and drive. The same can be said about the titular character from Carrie Soto Is Back, who was nicknamed “The Battle Axe” for her signature move on the court and her harsh demeanor.

Carrie Soto Is Back explores who Carrie is, and how others, particularly the media, perceive her. Sometimes, those perceptions don’t add up, with her taking on a villainous role she doesn’t always deserve. Like Tashi in Challengers, Carrie is dominant, bold, and sure of herself. They share a take-it-or-leave-it attitude that can be off-putting to others, but it’s also what helped them become champions. Tashi required a great actress in Zendaya to display her range, and it will be exciting to see who takes on the lead role in the Carrie Soto Is Back adaptation.

Carrie Soto Is Back Also Parallels King Richard’s Story

Carrie Soto Is Back Is A Father-Daughter Story

Another tennis film like Challengers that has recently seen a resurgence in popularity is 2021’s King Richard. The Will Smith movie was added to Netflix on April 24, 2024, allowing new audiences to find it and others to rewatch and remember its greatness. King Richard tells the true story of Richard Williams, the father and tennis coach of Venus and Serena Williams. Though Carrie Soto Is Back is Carrie’s story, much of it is also about her relationship with her father and tennis coach, Javier Soto.

Like Richard Williams, Javier Soto dreamed of his daughter becoming the best player in the world and was determined to make that a reality. They also didn’t come from money, but it didn’t stop them from dominating the wealthy sport. Carrie’s tennis story is as much Javier’s as it is her own, and their complicated relationship as father and daughter and coach and player adds another interesting element to Carrie Soto Is Back. With the success of King Richard and Challengers, viewers can get excited for Carrie Soto Is Back to one day hit the big screen.

Source: Deadline